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English international exhibitors are moving from Hall 8 to Halls 6 and 4 from 2015, as part of an effort to put English-language publishers at the “at the heart of the action”, the Frankfurt Book Fair has announced.
The rump of English speaking international exhibitors will be relocated in Halls 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2, with the Literary Agents and Scouts Centre to be housed in Hall 6.3. STM and Educational publishers will remain in Hall 4.2.
Frankfurt said the move was intended to reflect the “increasing globalization and consolidation of international book markets”. Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, told The Bookseller that one of the main reasons for instituting these changes was to make it easier for all FBF customers to tap into the growing potential of the international publishing market.
“The relocation of many of our exhibitors on the exhibition grounds is representative of the overall shift that the publishing industry is experiencing today”, he said. “With this new concept, the Frankfurt Book Fair can live up to its claim of being the ‘Global City of Ideas’ and offer its customers a very satisfying Book Fair experience, both now and in the future.” He added: “We see more business at the fair going both ways between markets and big conglomerates. It is great to get some new energy into the fair and hopefully it will make for an exciting fair for everyone.”
Frankfurt emphasised that at the Book Fair 2015 (14-18 October 2015), all the business partners and locations that are important to attendees would be just a five-minute walk away.
Starting in 2014, the Frankfurt Book Fair will offer more guided tours organised by theme that will enable participants to see the Book Fair from a whole new perspective. The Agora, the open-air space between the halls, will be upgraded with an expanded Open Stage programme and The Lesezelt, a reading marquee, will be modernised. Overall, the Frankfurt Book Fair said it will expand those events and services that allow publishers and authors to come face-to-face with their readers, particularly at the weekend.
Gabi Rauch-Kneer, the member of the Frankfurt Book Fair’s executive board responsible for planning the new hall layout, said: “We are convinced that we have succeeded in putting together an innovative overall concept that reflects the many in-depth discussions we’ve had with our customers. With the introduction of a new hall layout, we’re making an important contribution to the Frankfurt Book Fair’s infrastructure programme.”
Frankfurt has launched a new webpage to showcase the shifts.